A 54-year-old rural Odin man has been charged with arson to a place of worship in connection with a fire that heavily damaged the Bethel Baptist Church at 1300 Bethel Road in rural Odin on July 5th or 6th, 2018.
Joseph Busscher who lives next to the church had the charge filed against him on Friday. He is already being held in the Marion County Jail on another incident involving the church.
Busscher was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and criminal damage to property between $500 and $10,000 for allegedly firing gunshots at the church. One window was broken out and several gunshots were found into the side of the church building.
During the court proceedings, Busscher was found unfit to stand trial and ordered to undergo treatment. In March of this year, the court found Busscher was restored to fitness and taken back to the Marion County Jail to await further court action. Busscher is currently set for a June 21st jury trial on the firearm and criminal damage charges.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department had long considered Busscher a suspect in the arson fire, but until now he has never been charged or arrested in connection with the fire.
The congregation of Bethel Baptist was out of their building for seven months while cleanup and renovation were completed.
